St. John Chrysostom taught that the evil one tempts us when we are alone (as Jesus was alone in the wilderness). When we are surrounded by the community of the faithful, we are much less like to succumb. As he says, "flock together continually, that we may not be open to the devil’s attacks.” *
A great reason to flock to church on the first Sunday of Lent.
*St. John Chrysostom's Sermon 13, on Matthew 4:1.
I always found it puzzling that Nietzsche should characterize himself as "decadent", as it always seemed as if that was exactly the state against which he was railing in his writings. I discovered Nietzsche was the opposite of a nihlist, in spite of his reputation as one, but why is he "decedant". Turns out he is decedant because he is one who cut himself off from most human contact, partly by choice and partly by his weakening illnesses. Nietzsche, the Antichrist, recognized that community was the antidote to nihlism.
ReplyDeleteFrom Fr. Cliff Carr's sermon yesterday morning:
ReplyDeleteFrom all inordinate and sinful affections; and from the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil………… GOOD LORD, DELIVER US.
Altho it may be hard to believe, temptation goes hand in hand with discipleship. Matthew tells us this morning that Jesus was led by the Spirit from his baptism to his testing & temptation. The two clearly go hand in hand. The early
Church Fathers give testimony to this time and again: Gregory of Nazianzus urged his followers “to flaunt in the devil’s face the water & the Spirit – in them will be extinguished all the flaming darts of the Evil one,” and John Chrysostom wrote “the devil would not attack you had he not seen you that you have been raised to honor by Baptism.” And, as Mthr. Laura reminds us frequently, there is safety in community: for John of the Golden-Tongue taught: “The devil attacks people when he sees them alone by themselves – he does not dare do it when he sees them together with others. For this reason we should meet frequently – if we do not do so we become easy prey for the devil.”
Our last line of defense when we do something wrong is often to say: “After all - I’m Only Human!”
And so we begin our Lenten story at the beginning with the first humans - - with Adam and Eve who were tempted by the serpent and ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. They did so in order to become like God, not being satisfied with being created by God and therefore only human. By turning the focus on themselves, they separated themselves from the will of the creator – and in that separation lost some of their identity. Ironic, isn’t it? They lost some of their humanity in the decision to become more human. The truth is, full humanity is found in relationships with God and each other, not in becoming our own gods and separating ourselves from God and each other. In the Genesis story we read that eating the forbidden fruit, they knew that they were naked and made coverings for themselves. Not only were they separated from God – they were separated from each other as well. Sin brings with it a new definition for humanity – for now there is a barrier, a separation from the one who created and loves us. And so we confess:
WE HAVE NOT LOVED YOU WITH OUR WHOLE HEART AND MIND AND STRENGTH. WE HAVE NOT LOVED OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES. WE HAVE NOT FORGIVEN OTHERS, AS WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. HAVE MERCY ON US, LORD.